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Does anyone know how to make a pedal powered rotating barrel washing machine? Answered

I'd like to make one that uses bike pedal power, derailleur and chain, and not one with a generator, batteries, or electricity. I've seen one online that MIT students created but have not been able to find any plans or directions for making it. Need to make a cheap non-electrical washing machine with rotating barrel/s.

Well, you would probably need some gear system, and chains or something similar to drive the gears. You would need to make the gears successivly (<-SP) smaller so you can make the barrel turn faster...

I read about one designed by an Indian student. There was a photo in the publication. The young lady(designer) was sitting comfortably next to the water tank and pedaling. The laudry barrel looked like a squirrel cage immersed halfway into the water.

There is a device that would fit this bill called the Cyclean, made by Alex Gadsden. He believes that "we all have to do our bit for the planet" and so he is working on making his plans freely available at his website, cyclean.biz

Another thing to check out would be "the Human Powered Home: Choosing Muscles over Motors" by Jamara Dean, published by New Society Publishers, which can be found hereThis book: -discusses the science and history of human power from Archimede's Screw to electricity-generating boots -Describes the role of Human powered devices today in countries across the globe -Details plans for making specific pedal-powered and treadled devices (including the pedal powered washing machine that you are looking for) -Profiles dozens of Human powere inventors and provides technical details and photos of their creation

I've heard that modern cowboys get a plastic barrel and put it in the back of their pickup trucks.
When they want to wash their clothes, they fill the barrel with water,soap and clothes, and just drive around ,letting the soapy water and clothes slosh around
in the barrel.
Now ,THAT'S multi-tasking!

You could replace the front wheel with a barrel, like this (caution, naughty word in photo).

Or it might be more practical to use a frame like this. Lengthen the back pair of rollers, and a barrel could be placed on them to roll around as you ride. Lengthen the rollers more, and more than one person could pedal at once, reducing the individual effort and making wash-day more of a family event.